Earthquake rattles southern Mexico, no damage reported

August 21, 2013|Reuters

(EDGARD GARRIDO, REUTERS)

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook southern Mexico on Wednesday and rattled buildings as distant as Mexico City around 250 miles away, but there were no reports of damage or injuries.

The epicenter was 11 miles northwest of the town of Ayutla de los Libres in the poor southern state of Guerrero, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said, revising down an initial reading of 6.4.

It said the tremor struck at a depth of 21.6 miles. A 5.3 magnitude aftershock hit near the popular Pacific coast tourist resort of Acapulco half an hour later.

Buildings swayed for around a minute in Mexico City after the first quake, and several offices in the capital evacuated staff. The quake struck at the height of the morning rush-hour.

Mexico City Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said on Twitter that there were no reports of injuries or damage in the capital.

Luis Felipe Puente, national emergency services coordinator, told local television there was no damage reported in Guerrero.

However Guerrero Governor Angel Aguirre Rivero said on Twitter that emergency services were checking buildings in locations including Acapulco following the aftershock.

(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Simon Gardner, David Brunnstrom and Vicki Allen)